Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“We’re busy. Store’s a few minutes’ drive away, Gem.”
“I have some milk, Barney.”
“No, you know, he’s right. I’ll go get some milk. Leave you to it.” The guy turned and rushed away.
“Renard!” Opal scolded.
“What?” he asked.
“That was rude.”
“Baby, he came to ask for some milk? Seriously? It’s the middle of the afternoon; he can get his own milk. That guy been bothering you?”
“Who? Barney? No, he’s harmless. Poor guy comes every weekend to spend time with the Grackle, who is his aunt. He’s a saint. Be nice.”
“I’m never nice.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you are. When you want to be.”
“I don’t like him coming over here like that.”
“There’s a lot of stuff you don’t like. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything you do like.”
“I like you.”
The words slammed into her with the force of a freight train. “You like me?”
“Yeah, baby. I like you.”
Anyone else said those words and they might sound silly. Like something middle school kids said to each other.
But coming from Renard, it was damn near a declaration of love.
Remember. He doesn’t want long term.
You’re just a whore, Opal.
Men like me use women like you. Then when we’re finished, we throw you away.
Because you’re garbage.
Smack!
His hand landed on her ass and she jolted.
“Where’d you go, Gem?” he growled.
“I just . . .” She couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Maybe not ever. “I don’t know. Sorry. I was just thinking that I really like you too.”
Shit.
She hadn’t meant to say that, had she?
He watched her with narrowed eyes. She was gonna be in such trouble if he figured out she’d just lied to him.
“You wanna come inside and fool around?” she asked.
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”
“Ew. Really? I ask you to fool around and you say that?”
“Gem. Am I a guy?”
“Yep. I know that now for sure.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You didn’t before?”
“Nah. Not before I saw that beautiful dick yesterday.”
He rolled his eyes at her. “I’m a guy. Not a teenage boy. I don’t fool around; I fuck my girl.” He shifted off the sun lounger with her in his arms, proving that he also didn’t have any back issues from carrying her around. “Thursday night work for you?”
“Huh?” she asked since it was Sunday.
“Got next Thursday night off. That work for you to go to the club?”
Oh.
“Yeah, that works for me.”
“Damn right that works for you,” he muttered before he entered her bedroom and threw her on the bed. She reached behind her to take off her bikini.
“Leave it on, Gem. Arms above you.”
“On?”
“Yep. I’m going to enjoy pulling it off you. With my teeth.”
“Beast,” she whispered huskily.
“Your beast.”
She really wished that he was hers.
Forever.
25
“You nervous, Gem?”
“No!” she replied. “Why would I be nervous? Been here lots.”
Hmm.
Which made him think . . . a membership wasn’t cheap. Although there was a healthy discount for residents of Haven.
“You paying month by month?” he asked as he took hold of her hand and led her toward Saxon’s. She was wearing a long coat over whatever outfit she’d put on. He hadn’t seen it yet.
“No. Tanner paid for a year’s membership for me.”
He stilled and she stopped, turning to him in surprise. “What?”
“What?” she asked, looking confused.
“Tanner is paying for your membership?”
“Um, yep. I couldn’t afford it when I first arrived in Haven.”
“I’ll pay him back.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I’m your guardian now, Gem.”
“I know you said that—”
“I didn’t just say it. I meant it.”
“Okay, all right, you meant it.” She held up her hands. “But what has that got to do with my membership? It was a gift.”
“Don’t want other men buying you gifts.”
“This is my best friend’s man. He doesn’t like me like that.” She gave him an incredulous look.
“Maybe so.” He let go of her hand to fold his arms over his chest. “Still don’t like it.”
Yeah, he was probably overreacting.
But he didn’t care.
“Gonna pay him back and I’ll be paying your membership from now on.”
“Actually, I can pay for my own now that I have a job.”
Her job couldn’t pay that well and she had to shell out for rent, utilities, food, and everything else.
“You can afford a membership on your pay?”
“Laken pays pretty well. I’m good with money, I can survive on the smell of an oily rag.”
Yeah.
He didn’t like that. He didn’t want her to just survive.
He wanted her to thrive.
“Save your money, baby. You’re my girl. I pay.”
“Is this a caveman, I-live-in-Haven-Texas thing?”
“Yep. It’s also a Renard and Opal thing.” He took her hand, leading her back inside.
“Well, damn,” she said.
“What?”
“I wanted to be all angry, but you took the wind out of my sails by saying it’s a Renard and Opal thing.”
“Is that supposed to make sense?” Because he had no clue what she was saying.
“Makes sense to me. That’s all that matters.”
He grunted as they headed into the club. It was set back from the road, but he’d parked out back. There was a large fence and dense shrubbery surrounding the area to add to the privacy.